Sleep deprivation and panic attacks.

[jaderbug]

I dread night time.

During the day, I’m able to use all my coping mechanisms and face anxiety head on, show it whose boss. But for some reason when it gets dark out, my nerves completely act up. I get terrible irrational thoughts, I get panic attacks, and sleep just sometimes becomes out of the question for me. Some nights I stay up till 6am until I’m so exhausted that I just fall asleep, and some days I stay up 3 days in a row. I’ve taken trazodone, hydroxyzine, melatonin, vitamins, and gabapentin. No matter how tired I get, my body fights it.

When I get really sleep deprived I start to hallucinate, which I’m pretty sure is just depersonalization making everything much worse. I’m completely panicky when I’m sleep deprived, it’s when I have my worst irrational thoughts and the worst physical sensations.

I’m not really sure how to break this hideous cycle. I dread laying in my bed trying to sleep and feeling the anxiety that I do before I sleep. I get nightmares sometimes because anxiety never sleeps, and they’re very vivid and scary. I once didn’t sleep for a few days in a row because I was convinced I had a sleep paralysis happen, but it was just anxiety caused, it didn’t happen. Some times I also think I’ll die in my sleep, which I know during the day is irrational but I can’t convince myself otherwise at night. I’m also very afraid of sleepwalking/sleep talking for some odd reason which I know is normal, and that thought will keep me up some nights. I get very afraid that an evil entity will mess me with me when I sleep, which keeps me up for hours nearly paralyzed in fear.

But most of all, I feel the physical sensations and pains from anxiety at night. I cannot lay still when I feel the pains because it feels like if i don’t move the pain gets worse. Not having my mind distracted by anything and trying to sleep, leaving my mind to wander is my biggest worry. I need to break this cycle.

The only things that help me sleep at night are xanax and klonopin, but i know they’re very addicting so I’m just lost. During the daytime i se recovery, but at night it’s the same anxieties all over again.

[Hidden]

What have you tried for helping you fall asleep? Exercise, reading, meditation, or controlled breathing? Do you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both? Sounds like you need to aply some CBT to your sleep habits.

[Jeff1943]

Jaderbug, rest assured you will not die in your sleep, anxiety is powerless to inflict that on you. No evil entity is waiting to possess you, that is merely the figment of vivid imagination caused by over-sensitive nerves and lack of sleep.

May I suggest you no longer feed your anxiety with an endless supply of fear hormone that keeps your nervous system in that sensitive state. Instead pass through the storm, let anxiety and panic do their worse, they cannot harm you because you are invincible. You know that by accepting your symptoms for the time being their days are numbered. Accept them utterly, replace fear with acceptance and you will be well on the road to recovery..

Tell your symptoms you're tired of their little game and are determined to enjoy refreshing sleep. Let them rage but take it in your stride, you now know how anxiety works and you need fear the night no more.

[Strongguy552525]

I no how how fill I have bad insomnia which make my acid reflux worse and anxiety

[Savannah_claire_]

I understand when you get panic attacks at night! Same for me! And it sounds like you just need to relax ! It’s hard to do! But maybe some essential oils would help? It helps me a ton! We are here for you!

[Hidden]

Jaderbug

What do you do before you go to sleep?

[Gina10]

I've had the same problem for about a few.months I couldn't sleep!! I had so much anxiety and fear of dying in my sleep. Also, neck.pain from anxiety. I would drink.wine and two lorazepam!! Not a.permanent solution. What ACTUALLY helped is realizing this is ANXIETY. It's all in our heads we haven't died yet and will not. All these thoughts and feelings are temporary and anxiety.YOU will be okay. I'm fine now but back then I was not!! Until I realized it's all in my head nothing is really going to happen. I'm perfectly healthy and younger just crazy anxiety and thoughts.that trick you.but everything is okay in the end.please message me if you would like to talk About it. TALKING about it definitely helps!!